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Living life to the fullest despite being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis: Emily's story
Emily is a vibrant, happy-go-lucky 10-year-old. With white-blonde hair, sparkly blue eyes and a contagious grin, she’s likely to steal your heart as soon as you meet her. To look at her, you’d never know that she has been fighting a serious illness her entire life. -
Overcoming postpartum depression: Heather's Story
January 20, 2012. Within 24 hours of the birth of my beautiful baby girl, my eyes filled with tears and I couldn’t move from my bed. While watching my all-time favorite TV show “Friends” in my recovery room, the all-too familiar feeling of anxiety and uncontrollable sadness flooded my system.
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On Father’s Day, remember the fathers of sick children
When I was a little girl, my dad was my hero. He was strong and brave, and it only took his presence to make me feel safe and secure. I thought he understood everything there was to know in the world. I believed he could solve any problem, slay any dragon, protect me from all harm.
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What you need to know about bicycle helmets for kids
One of my favorite things about the neighborhood in which I live is that every weekday I see elementary and middle school kids riding their bicycles to school. The crossing guards take special care to help kids cross the street, and the children look thrilled to be embarking on a grand adventure. It reminds me that mine is a family neighborhood, and I’m so fortunate to live in a place where kids have the opportunity to ride their bikes to school safely.
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If news headlines have made you feel like a bad parent, you aren’t alone
You are a bad parent.
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Car Seat Safety Guidelines: what you need to know.
There are few things in parenting as complicated as the rules and regulations of car seats. And yet, there are few things as important for the safety and well being of our kids.
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What do you do when your child hurts your feelings?
One of my favorite times with my daughter is the car ride home from school. It’s one of the rare moments that she and I have that’s just the two of us, now that she has a little brother at home, too. One day last week, I was particularly excited to pick her up from preschool. I couldn’t wait to hear what letter she’d learned, what art projects she had made and who she played with on the playground. Usually she tells funny anecdotes from her day, and it makes me smile.
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How to talk to your children about Ebola
Ebola is a scary topic; there’s no doubt about that. With the onslaught of media coverage that has no end in sight, it’s likely that older children have already heard of the Ebola outbreak or will hear about it in the near future. The question is, what can we do to help our kids work through the confusing and frightening messages they see on television?
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Get to know Dr. Jeffery Johnson, pediatric nephrologist at the Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center
The Hewell Kids' Kidney Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital oftentimes becomes a home-away-from-home for many children needing outpatient dialysis treatment in Central Florida. The Hewell Kids' Kidney Center cares for children who have been diagnosed with with kidney-related disease such as end-stage kidney disease and obesity-related kidney disorders, as well as those who have undergone a kidney transplant. The team consists of several pediatric nephrologists, nurse practitioners, renal nurses, nutritionists, and social workers. The team recently welcomed it's newest member, Dr. Jeffery Johnson, pediatric nephrologist, in June of this year. Get to know Dr. Johnson in the Q & A below!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up all over since my dad was in the Air Force. We finally settled in Ohio when I was in high school and then I moved to California in my adult years. I had lived in Los Angeles, CA for the past 14 years before moving to Orlando.Where did you go to school?
For my undergraduate I went to Washington University in St. Louis, MO and then attended Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH for medical school.What did you want to be when you were a little kid?
I wanted to be a soccer player, even though I was horrible! I didn’t know I wanted to go into the field of medicine until halfway through college. I thought I wanted to do medical research, but after I started doing it I realized it wasn’t for me. With medicine, there is something new every day, which keeps me going.What was your first job?
I worked in a games department at a local amusement park. It was a lot of fun. I worked there in high school and through my first year of college.What are your hobbies?
I run a lot – almost every day. Today I’ll be running eight miles. I like to scuba dive and travel. Bali was probably my most favorite place I’ve traveled to so far.What is your favorite sports team?
The Cincinnati Bengals even they break my heart every year!How did you get into pediatric nephrology?
It was when I did a pediatric nephrology rotation as part of my medical training that I knew that was what I wanted to do – it was very interesting to me.How did you know you wanted to work with kids?
It was probably after my second or third month of working in the adult emergency room that I felt called to work in pediatrics. My mom and sister are both elementary school teachers, so I’ve spent most of my life being around and working with kids.When did you start at Arnold Palmer Hospital and what is it like working at the Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center?
I moved to Orlando for this job and have been here since June 2014. One of the things I love about working here is the team that I am a part of. Everyone is fun and easy to work with. We usually all eat lunch together. It’s like a family here, which is evident in how we care for our patients. We take a team approach in being able to provide comprehensive care to our patients, and everyone is usually on the same page as far as what the protocol should be and what the treatment plan should look like.What is it like working with the whole family and not just the patient?
It’s a fine balance, because I always try to acknowledge and engage the child while also working with the parents and families. But it’s something that I really enjoy. It might not always be an easy day at work, but being able to care for kids and knowing that I am helping them is a great feeling.What is one piece of advice that you always communicate to families and patients?
I think one of the most important things in our patient population is for them to be taking their medicine. In our transplant population, most of them are on an immunosuppressant, and if they don’t take their medication for a few days, they could end up losing their kidney or having recurrent kidney disease. It’s important for me that they understand the importance of taking their medicine and that the family ensures that they will follow through with the treatment plan at home.What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment?
I would say it was when I took over the dialysis unit at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. I had to basically redo the unit and start over from scratch, building it from the ground up.What is one thing that patients and families wouldn’t otherwise know about you?
I want families to know that I am honest with them, whether I have good or bad news to share. I would want my physician to be honest with me, so I try and do the same for our families.Click here to learn more about the Kids’ Kidney Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital
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Should I give my child probiotics?
Did you know that your digestive tract contains over 400 different types of bacteria? This complex ecosystem is called intestinal microflora. The concentration of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract increases dramatically moving from the stomach towards the colon. In humans, the intestinal microflora is vital in many important functions including digestion of nutrients and prevention of infection. Disruption of the “normal flora” can lead to many problems including diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain and poor absorption of nutrients.
What is a probiotic?
Probiotics are “friendly bacteria” or “good bacteria” similar to those that occur naturally in the digestive tract. A few years ago, the defined “probiotics” as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”
